America’s drunk shopping habit at $44.9 billion

Does drinking lead to spending?

For some 58.4 million Americans, a hangover is no longer the only thing they may wake up to after a night of drinking. Perhaps you’ll find some new shoes in your closet or even a new car in your driveway. This may leave you to wonder – has my bank account and alcohol teamed up against me?

According to Finder’s latest Drunk Shopping survey conducted in February 2020, nearly a quarter (22.9%) of Americans admit to shopping under the influence. Although the percentage of Americans that admitted to buying under the influence decreased from 26.4% to 22.9% over the past year, the amount consumers are spending increased by 13.9%. The average drunk shopper is spending an average of $768.58 on drunk purchases this year, compared to $674.96 in 2019.

Collectively, Americans spent $44.9 billion on drunk purchases in the past 12 months, down from last year’s $45.3 billion.

• Average spent on drunk shopping per person - Visual
• Average spent on drunk shopping per person - Data

Boozing by the numbers

• 69.7% of Americans drink at least one alcoholic beverage per week
• On average, American drinkers consume 8 alcoholic drinks per week
• The most commonly consumed alcoholic beverage by men is beer, with 63.7% of men drinking at least one beer a week, compared to women who tend to favor wine, with 46.2% of women having at least one glass per week
• Millennials and Gen X are consuming the largest amount of alcoholic beverages weekly, both consuming an average of 8.85 drinks per week
• Americans on average spend the most per glass of wine ($11.86) and the least on a can of beer ($7.57)

What are we buying?

For those of you who have ever made a late night call to Domino’s after cracking open a few brewskis, it will come as no surprise that food is our most common drunk purchase. Nearly 60% of Americans admit to purchasing food while drunk, followed by more alcohol at 51.7% and shoes, clothes or accessories at 36.9%.

• What drunk shoppers spent their money on (%) - Visual
• What drunk shoppers spent their money on (%) - Data

When looking at total dollar amount spent, Americans spent the most on car related purchases ($731.32), followed by vacations ($705.71) and gambling ($420.18).

• What drunk shoppers spent their money on ($) - Visual
• What drunk shoppers spent their money on ($) - Data

Gender

Just over a quarter (26.9%) of men admit to drunk shopping. The top purchase for men under the influence is more alcohol (57.3%), followed by food (54.7%), and shoes, clothes, or accessories (30.3%).

Less women (19.1%) admitted to drunk shopping than men, spending an average of $799.61 on their purchases during the past year. The top drunk purchase among women was food (62.9%), with shoes, clothes, or accessories coming in second (45.5%), and more alcohol in a close third (44.4%).

Generation

On par with last year’s trend, Millennials were the generation most prone to drunk shopping (42.1%). Following Millennials was Gen Z (35.4%), Gen X (22.2%) and Baby Boomers (10.1%).

• Generational Drunk Shopping - Visual
• Generational Drunk Shopping - Data

Similarly, Millennials also spent the most on drunk purchases, coughing up an average of $879.71 compared to last year’s average of $847.41. Following Millennials is Gen X ($797.49), Gen Z ($650.48), and Baby Boomers ($486.98).

• Annual drunken spend by generation - Visual
• Annual drunken spend by generation - Data

Where are we drunk shopping?

The Northeast showed the highest percentage of drunk shoppers at 25.82% while also boasting the highest average spend at $1,195.13. This was followed by the Midwest at 23.54%, the West at 23.50% and the South coming in at 20.32%

• Drunk Shopping By Region - Visual
• Drunk Shopping By Region - Data

Breaking it down by state, our research finds that residents of Washington State spend the most on drunk purchases at $2,199.96. Massachusetts comes in second at $1,703.14, with New York closely following at $1,652.4. The state that spends the least while drunk shopping is North Dakota at $99.60.

• Methodology

  Our data is based on an online survey of 2,076 US adults born between 1928 and 2002.The survey was commissioned by Finder and conducted by Pureprofile in February 2020. Participants were paid volunteers.

  We assume the 2,076 participants in our survey represent the US population of 255.2 million Americans who are at least 18 years old according to the July 2019 US Census Bureau population estimate. This assumption was made at the 95% confidence level with a 12.45% margin of error.

  The survey asked people whether they made a purchase while under the influence of alcohol in the last 12 months and asked them to select the categories they purchased in and the amount they spent. Purchase categories were Shoes, clothes, or accessories, Gambling, Cigarettes, DVD, movies, or streaming service, Tech products, Narcotics or other drugs, Music, Artwork, Vacation, Pet, Furniture, Car, Motorbike, Food, More alcohol, and Other.

  Average calculations of amount spent were based on only the participants who reported spending in a category — for example, to calculate the average amount spent on food while drunk, the 77.12% who indicated that they have not made any drunk purchases in the past 12 months, and the 7.05% who responded “0” (meaning they have made a drunk purchase in another category, but have not made a drunk purchase on food) were not included. Our calculations were weighted for age and gender.

  To avoid skewing the data, we did not include extreme outliers in our calculations

  We define generations by birth year according to the Pew Research Center’s generational guidelines:

  Gen Z — 1997-2002
  Millennials — 1981-1996
  Gen X — 1965-1980
  Baby Boomers — 1946-1964
  The Silent Generation — 1928-1945

  We define geographical regions as defined by the Census Bureau.

  Not enough data was collected from the following states to to calculate spending per state: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Past drunk shopping surveys

• 2019

  Load up (drank), browse though (drank), click on (drank), check out (drank). No, these aren’t the lyrics to Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 single “Swimming Pools (Drank)” but the buying habits for millions of Americans.

  More than a quarter (26%) of Americans admit to shopping under the influence, totaling some 66.1 million people, according to the latest Drunk Shopping survey from finder.com, an annual survey of roughly 2,000 American adults about their boozed buying habits.

  While the number of people buying items after drinking is on the way down compared to last year, how much they’re spending is way up. Collectively, Americans spent $45.3 billion on drunk purchases in the past 12 months, up from last year’s $30.43 billion.

  Yet the percentage of Americans that admit to buying under the influence decreased to 26% in 2019 from 46% in 2018. Which means the amount we’re spending per person is on the rise.

  Finder’s study conducted in January 2017 revealed the average American spent $206 per year on items while under the influence. That figure jumped to $447.57 per person in the 2018 findings, almost 120% (117.27%) more. By 2019, the average had jumped another 50.81% to $674.96, according to our latest survey data.

  Boozing by the numbers

  • Americans consume an estimated 1.38 billion alcoholic drinks a week.
  • An estimated 96 million people (37.9%) drink beer each week, and the average imbibing American drinks 5.5 beers a week.
  • Of those who enjoy a tipple, 81.1% of men and only 52.8% of women say they’re likely to drink a beer.
  • 47.2% of females consume alcohol each week, compared with 63.3% of men.
  • 62.7% of Gen X consumes alcohol weekly, compared with 57.2% of baby boomers and 50.4% of millennials.

  What are we buying?

  It may be little surprise that food is our most common drunk purchase, with 50.9% of drunk shoppers admitting to buying a bite. Food is followed by shoes and clothing (42.4%) and cigarettes (29.2%).

  Gender

  Of the people who make drunk purchases, 38% are women and 62% are men.

  The top purchase for women under the influence is food, with 56.35% saying they’d bought a meal after a drink. Closely following is the 51.27% of women who say they’d bought shoes or clothing and 25.89% who said they drunkenly spent on gambling.

  The top two purchases for men are also food (47.53%) and shoes and clothing (37.04%). However, the sexes divide on their third favorite drunk purchase, with men choosing cigarettes as their drunk buy of choice (33.02%).

  Generation

  Millennials doled out the most on drunk purchases in the past year, averaging $847.41 — more than baby boomers ($244.73) and Gen Xers ($651.10).

  Of the generations, millennials (62.65%) are more likely to consume alcohol regularly than Gen Xers (57.22%) and boomers (50.44%).

  Methodology

  This data is from a survey of 2,100 US adults commissioned by finder.com and conducted by Pureprofile in February 2019.

• 2018

  With St. Patrick’s around the corner, some Americans may already worry about their spending habits ahead of the year’s biggest drinking extravaganza. Nearly half of American adults (46%) who drink alcohol regularly admit to making a purchase while under the influence — an estimated 68 million people, drawn from our study of 2,000 American adults.

  The biggest concern? Our drunk shopping addiction may be rising, given we’re spending double the amount on last year’s purchases while under the influence!

  Americans have spent an estimated $30.43 billion on these spontaneous drunk purchases, or about $447.57 per person. Compare this to just $206 spent on drunk purchases last year.

  Come March 17th, the sound of your credit card declining might just be worse than your hangover.

  Boozing by the numbers

  • 60.27% of American adults — or an estimated 148 million of us — drink an average 7 alcoholic beverages weekly.
  • We spend $5.4 billion on alcoholic beverages a week — an average $36.56 per person.
  • The most popular alcoholic drink is beer, with 39.53% of American adults drinking an average 5 beers weekly.
  • Men are twice as likely as women to consume beer, with an estimated 53.4% of men enjoying a beer, compared with only 26.48% of women who pick up a can weekly.
  • Wine is a woman’s drink of choice, with 37.54% of women enjoying an average 2 glasses a week.
  • Millennials are twice as likely as Gen Xers and baby boomers combined to enjoy a glass of moonshine or other liquor.
  • Men are twice as likely as women to consume spirits, with an estimated 36.49% of men regularly boozing up on liquor compared with 18.43% of women.

  Shop ’til you drop …

  Our research reveals what tipsy shoppers are most likely to spend on soaking up their alcohol: Some 60.83% of shoppers say they spend up on food. The next most common purchases are shoes and clothes (25.09%) and gambling (24.91%). Yet others admit to buying concert tickets and even prostitution under the influence. Gives a whole new meaning to “shop ’til you drop!” doesn’t it?

  Generation

  Gen Xers spend the most on drunk purchases, averaging $738.87 per haul — more than triple the amount ($206.11) that millennials spent.

  But while Gen Xers spend more, millennials are more likely to spontaneously indulge on a spree their next night out, with 61.07% of millennials who drink regularly admitting to drunk shopping. Compared that to Gen Xers at 51.17% and baby boomers at 31.29%.

  But which generation embodies the biggest drinker? On an average week, a Gen Xer spends $36.91 on alcohol, compared with $59.28 a week for millennials. That’s a whopping $1,163.24 extra that millennials spend on booze each year! That’s a whole new perspective on their “indulgent” avocado toast habit.

  Gender

  Surprisingly, men spend almost double that of women when under the influence, averaging a total $564.51 per spend, compared to women, who spend an average $282.65. Compounding this, men are also more likely to buy while boozed up, with 48.19% of men who drink regularly admitting to a drunken shop, compared with the 41.36% of women who do so.

  On an average week, men spend an estimated $44.17 on alcohol — much higher than the average $26.77 women spend to drink. That’s an extra $904.80 that men spend on booze than women in a year!

  Spirits and liquor appear more popular with men than women. Men are four times more likely (3.30%) to enjoy a sneaky moonshine than their female counterparts (0.68%). And it’s nearly twice as likely that men (8.45%) will consume cider than women (4.36%).

  Marital Status

  Married Americans spend twice as much on spontaneous drunk purchases than their divorced counterparts, with an average $327.62 spent in total compared to a divorcee’s $147.71. However, singletons are the most likely to make a purchase while drunk: 55.78% of single people admitting to making a purchase while under the influence, compared with only 43.63% of married drinkers.

  Bear in mind, we’re reporting figures for adults only. However illegal it is for teens to imbibe, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in five youths ages 12 to 20 drink alcohol, and 11% of all alcohol consumed in the US is consumed by 12- to 20-year-olds!

  How do our drunk shopping habits compare to the UK?

  Although Brits are more likely to drink regularly than us, we take the cake for shopping under the influence – but only just! On average, each of us spends more ($447.57) than our counterparts in the UK ($404.71). Check out the table below for the numbers in-depth.

  UK	US
  80.45% Brits drink alcohol regularly	60.27% of American adults have at least one drink a week on average
  45.80% of those who drink have drunk shopped	46% of us who drink alcohol regularly admit to making a purchase while under the influence
  36.35% of Brits (over 15 million) have made drunk purchases in the past	27.69% of us (an estimated 68 million) have made drunk purchases in the past
  The average total cost of these drunk purchases is an estimated $404.71 (£291.07) each in the UK	We spend a bit more spend on average per person, at $447.57, compared to $206 last year
  Approximately $6.20 billion (£4.46 billion) is blown on drunk shopping nationally	Americans have spent an estimated $30.43 billion on these spontaneous drunk purchases
  Men (47.35%) are more likely than women (44.30%) to make drunk purchases	Men are also more likely to drink and shop in the US (48.19% of men vs 41.36% of women)
  Men ($506.98) spend more than women ($296.65)	Men ($564.51) also spend more than women ($282.65) in the US
  Millennials (59.29% ) make the most drunk purchases, followed by Gen Xers (51.70%) and baby boomers (31.36%)	This is the same in the US, with 61.07% of millennials who drink regularly admitting to drunk shopping, followed by Gen Xers (51.17%) and baby boomers (31.29%)
  Gen X spends the most individually at an average of $520.57, followed by baby boomers ($440.82) and millennials ($253.56)	Gen X again spends the most on drunk purchases ($738.87), then baby boomers ($246.51) and millennials ($206.11)

  Want to have your Guinness and drink it too?

  We rounded up some strategies to avoid the extra headache on your next credit card bill. Prevent impulse purchases by downloading finder.com’s Icebox Chrome plugin, which helps you put purchases “on ice” for a spell before you’re able to complete that online purchase.

  There are also quite a few apps and Chrome extensions out there that can help you curb your spending until you’re thinking more clearly.

  Brand	Features
  Drnkpay	Link your credit and debit cards to the app, and choose how many drinks you plan to have in advance. Select which types of payments to block for 12 hours, including bars, restaurants, online shopping and more. If you try to make a purchase, a breathalyzer that’s connected to your system through Bluetooth is used to authorize the payment. If you’re under your predefined limit, the payment can be made. Otherwise, the cards are blocked and can’t be used. If your cards are all blocked, a special feature allows you to call an Uber to get home safely. Available for iOS and Android devices.
  FocusMe	Block any websites, like Amazon or your favorite stores, for a certain amount time. Track the time you spend on certain websites to maximize efficiency. Create custom focus plans tailored to your personal routine to boost your productivity. Available for macOS, Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7 devices as well as a free app on Android.
  Freedom	Block websites, apps or even the whole Internet with the click of a button. Start a block on the fly or schedule blocks in advance, like during the hours you’re most likely under the influence. Create customizable block lists, like one with all your go-to stores for drunk shopping. Available for macOS, Windows Vista, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 and iOS devices.
  StayFocused	This free Chrome extension lets you block entire websites or just specific pages. Limit the amount of time you spend on certain websites so you have to stay focused. Nuclear Option lets you block sites for a certain number of hours, like late at night when you’re most likely to be drunk and tempted to shop. Available for devices using Google Chrome.

• 2017

  St. Patrick’s day may have come and gone, but some Americans may be finding themselves with more than just a bar tab on their credit card bill. Almost half of all Americans (46%) who regularly drink alcohol weekly, admit to shopping under the influence. Nothing like a shipping confirmation email to make your hangover a little bit worse.

  Boozing by the numbers …

  • 27% of American adults drink on average 9 alcoholic beverages per week — that’s an estimated 66.9 million American adults
  • 9% of Americans drink more than 9 per week
  • The most popular alcoholic drink is beer, with 21% of those who drink regularly enjoy drinking beer
  • It was followed by 17% of these people choose wine as a regular drink, while 14% drink spirits on a weekly basis
  • We spend $80.05 on average each week on alcohol

  Research shows that tipsy shoppers are spending an average of $206 in under in the influence purchases. The most common investments amongst drunk shoppers are shoes or clothes (39%), tied with gambling (39%). Rounding out the top three is cigarettes with 38% admitting they can’t resist the urge for a smoke.

  Shop till you drop

  • 46% of people who regularly drink alcohol each week also make spontaneous purchases while drunk
    • Almost two in five of these people (39%) admitted to buying shoes or clothes while intoxicated
    • 39% also admitted to gambling while under the influence
    • Cigarettes was the third most popular thing to buy when drunk, with 38% of these people admitting they had done so
  • Average cost of spontaneous drunk purchases: $206

  What can you do about it?

  Strategies to save some coin after a few drinks …

  • Avoid going online and remove any shopping apps on your phone that could give your drunken self easy access – if you must go online, channel into on-demand viewing, games or social media sites instead
  • Put a block on certain sites during hours you are most likely to be under the influence (Friday night at 9pm for example)
  • Hide your credit cards before you start imbibing
  • If all else fails, steer your sloshed self to sites with flexible return policies

• 2016

  We like a drink and we like online shopping, and the combination can be expensive.

  It happens so easily. You’ve had a drink or two, you pull out your cellphone, and suddenly you’ve spent hundreds of dollars online. But what are you most likely to buy?

  New data from finder.com suggests that if we drink and shop, we usually end up with new clothes. Here are the most common drink-driven purchases, according to a survey of 3,123 Americans conducted by Pureprofile in January 2017:

  Category	%
  Shoes and clothes	7.1%
  Gambling	6.2%
  Cigarettes	6.2%
  Movies/DVDs	4.0%
  Technology	3.3%

  The average amount we spend in an unplanned booze-filled buying session is $139, but the total can vary significantly depending on our sex. Men on average spend more than four times as much as women ($233 in a session versus $54).

  What drinks drive those decisions? Beer tops the list, followed by wine and spirits. Our average expenditure per year on alcohol is $796, which totals up to a liver-challenging $179 billion each year.

  Here are the top 10 states for expenditure on alcohol and how much a typical resident spends each week and on an annual basis:

  State	Weekly	Yearly
  Idaho	$53	$2,747
  Alabama	$46	$2,398
  Rhode Island	$30	$1,577
  Arizona	$27	$1,387
  Iowa	$26	$1,363
  Oklahoma	$26	$1,337
  Georgia	$24	$1,225
  Indiana	$22	$1,140
  Washington	$21	$1,103
  Louisiana	$21	$1,068

  The top purchases for men and women look like this:

  Women	Men
  Shoes and clothes (8%)	Gambling (9%)
  Cigarettes (5%)	Cigarettes (8%)
  Gambling (4%)	Shoes and clothes (6%)
  DVDs/Movies (3%)	Tech products (5%)
  Narcotics (drugs, etc) (2%)	DVDs/Movies (5%)

  How to cut down on drunken shopping

  Drunken shopping is a money mistake we’d all prefer to avoid. Worried that you’re likely to shop when you sip? Follow these tips to cut down on your spending:

  • Switch off data services on your phone before you go out drinking. You’ll still be able to text and make calls, but you won’t be able to easily indulge.
  • Don’t save credit card details when you shop online. That way, you can’t easily make a one-click purchase.
  • Set yourself clear long-term savings goals. Those will help you resist accidental shopping sprees.

For media inquiries:

Allan Givens
Public Relations Manager
203-818-2928
allan.givens@finder.com

Nicole Gallina
Communications Coordinator
347-677-4931
nicole.gallina@finder.com